Let Me Comfort You
by Latent Radiance
Summary: Yami "Dateless" Sennen sees no other person he'd rather be with than his classmate Ryou. Unfortunately, his crush only has sights for Yami's friend and high school heart-throb Bakura. Defeated, Yami rents a mysterious video that claims to give him the comfort he needs. What he gets instead is a glitched out boy named Yuugi and a whole new mess of love triangles. Eventual Puzzle.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so I know I probably shouldn't be posting another story right now, and I _should _be working on Circling, but this thing seriously wouldn't leave me alone. It's going to be a fic based off of the manga _Video Girl Ai_, and it's going to be as long as hell. Guesstimating around a hundred or so chapters, though I'm trying to shorten it.

In those chapters, expect to see romance, drama, angst, and a bit of humor whirling around. Oh, and lots of flings and love triangles. Here's the whole list:

Puzzleshipping, Fragileshipping, Tendershipping, Shadowshipping, Offershipping, Ardentshipping, HondaxVivian, Brief Mention of Revolutionshipping, Azureshipping, Arrogantshipping.

So...yeah. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Warning: Slight sexual content in the beginning (though not quite a lemon) & OOCness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Video Girl Ai, or any of the characters mentioned. Written for entertainment purposes only.

Enjoy~

* * *

They parted, faces flushed and breathing harsh from the lack of air. Dark violet eyes slowly blinked open to connect with soft doe brown. He moved to brush past a lock of soft, snow white hair from the other's pale face, his own sharp, golden bangs hanging low. Dark tresses of black locks reached up to the sky, a few bangs following their lead in jagged lines. When positioned correctly under the sunlight, unusual crimson tinted the edges. The pale boy's skin was the softest he'd ever felt, contrasting greatly against his own even though their pigments were not far off.

The taller, though only by a few inches, had the paler pressed against the classroom's heater. The room remained dark despite the sunny day outside that should've made it bright and cheerful. They were alone save for the few desks and tables arranged neatly in rows of five to six. The whiteboard was blank, though faint writings could be seen if squinted upon. Textbooks lay haphazardly atop each other on the bookcase to their left, motivational posters littering the walls.

It was the perfect setting for this private moment.

Plump, kiss bruised lips curled in a cute smile that took whatever breath the taller had away. Even in such a passionate moment, the pale boy still managed to keep that innocent aura he loved so much.

"It's hot, huh?" The hushed whisper sent chills down the tri-colored haired teen's spine. The pale boy leaned closer so his breath wafted across the other's lips. "Shall we take off our clothes?"

An inquiry like that demanded attention. Snapping his previously half lidded eyes open, that taller took a step back to fully access the situation.

"Ryou…"

Said teen's confidence flustered, his soft gaze turning to the ground as an embarrassed flush dusted his nose. "Can…" his throat bobbed up and down in a thick swallow. "Can you turn around?" He fingered the collar of his own light blue jacket.

"Uh…" The dumb sound left his mouth before he could stop it. In any other case, he would've laughed at how modest Ryou was being, but the weight of what it really meant laid heavily on his shoulders. "S-sure." Rigidly, he switched their positions so the other would have room to…undress.

He faced the windows, trying to focus on the drifting clouds that contrasted against the bright blue sky as the sound of rustling clothes came from behind him. A cold sweat began to form on his brow, heart beating rapidly against his rib cage. What was he thinking? Was he _forcing_ Ryou to do this? Why was the pale boy being so…forward? A pang of guilt and slight apprehension echoed from his heart, though it was natural for him to feel this way. It was going to be, after all, his first time.

"You can look now…" Too caught up in his thoughts, the taller teen almost didn't catch the whispered voice coming from…the floor?

Indeed, Ryou had slowly migrated himself to the ground, legs bent so he was resting on his shins. Thin arms wrapped themselves around his chest in a futile way of covering up, his blush increasing by the second. The only articles of clothing left on him were his bleached white socks, the rest pooling around his faintly shivering form. His gaze was still trained on a spot on carpet some feet away.

The darker haired teen would've seen this, had it not been for a sight outside that made his heart momentarily leap into his throat.

Just on the crest of the hill stood another teen. This one held eerily similar features to the one staring back at him from the classroom window. Tresses of black hair, sharp golden bangs, the faintest tint of color on the edges. Though that's when the likeliness ended. Instead of slanted, dark violet eyes the teen in the classroom had, this boy had wide, amethyst colored eyes, soft features, and no extra blond streaks running up the body of his hair. He wore a loose soccer jersey, the black and white ball laying obediently underneath his foot.

And he was staring straight at them.

Sensing the unspoken question, the taller simply said, "There's someone outside." No hint of emotion dripped into his voice, surprising even himself. Shouldn't he be disappointed? Obviously they weren't going to continue, as the sounds of clothes slipping back on skin reached his ear.

No, he wasn't disappointed. In fact, he hardly felt anything except a strange fascination of this newcomer on the hill. Dark violet eyes narrowed. He had to find out who this boy was.

"Yami!" Ryou cried as he watched the other fling open the window and jump onto the awaiting grass. He wasn't listening, though. As soon as he had moved, the boy with the soccer ball had bolted, running over the crest so he could be hidden from view.

"Hey, wait!" The dark haired teen, now identified as Yami, called out, giving chase after this mysterious boy. He reached forward, hand splayed out as he tried to grab the other's wrist to pull them back when-

A pale hand clamped firmly onto the top, removable shelf of its owner's bookcase. Attached to the hand was a long arm, which connected to a shoulder, which was apart of the human body named Yami. Currently, the teen was half asleep, the covers of his bed thrown at awkward angles from the restlessness of the night's rest. His upper body was hanging off the side of the bed, head drooped in a way so the tips of his spiky black hair brushed against the hardwood flooring of his small bedroom.

Muttering incoherence, Yami gave a harsh tug of the wrist, triggering a series of unfortunate events. Firstly, the extra pull was enough force to drag enough of the rest of his body off the bed so gravity had no other choice but to remove him from his position and onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. However, Yami was not the only thing that fell from its perch. The shelf he had been clinging to moved forward at a rapid pace, and, since Yami's grip had not lessened one bit, was also forced to follow his path downward. The content on that particular shelf was just one VCR, an old thing Yami refused to give up, despite what his friend Bakura constantly told him to do.

Unfortunately, Yami was unlucky enough to have this VCR fall directly on top of his head, effectively waking him, and then some. A resounding shout echoed throughout the empty household where he lived, quickly followed by a string of curses.

"Damn it." Yami muttered, rubbing his sore head after managing to sit up through the mess. Blowing through his nose against the pain, he ran over the fleeting images of the latest dream, sighing once he came to the conclusion.

The dream, which had the eerie sense of being very real, was just another in a long series of ones just like it, the first one occurring the day after winter break began. It was also the day after he last saw Ryou Mizumori, the classmate he had been crushing over since the moment he laid eyes on him back in elementary school. But who wouldn't be able to resist him? With his long, soft white hair, beautiful chocolate eyes, and smooth pale skin…

Yami sighed dreamily and with longing, glancing at a small framed photo of the one in his dreams. It was a bit blurry, having been taken at a strange angle so Ryou wouldn't see. Thankfully, he had managed to capture that perfect smile just before he had to duck fully under the bush he was hiding behind as a teacher passed by, inspecting the grounds for any wrongdoing. The picture had easily became one of the most treasured of Yami's possessions.

A sudden frown marred the teen's happy demeanor as his thoughts strayed to the mysterious boy. Out of all the dreams he had, that boy had not been in one of them. The same curiosity he felt in the dream ignited deep in his heart. Something told him that this dream was important, more so than all the others combined.

Something twitched in Yami's mind, an image of how he was awoken coming back to him at an increased speed. Sucking in a harsh breath, he turned to his beloved VCR, only to find it laying damaged on the hard flooring. Hands flew up to tug at his hair as another scream echoed through his house's hallways. Once smoothing over his initial shock, Yami was at its side in a flash, gingerly picking up the beaten technology to examine the extent of the damage.

"_Ooh_," Yami moaned, slowly flipping it around to get a better view, "_Please_ don't tell me it's broken!" No matter what others said about keeping the VCR, he would simply not get rid of it. Fond memories of watching movies with his mother in his young, tender years filled his mind whenever he looked at it. Though his mother had now been deceased for almost a decade and his father was always either stuck at the office or on private business trips, Yami still believed the old player would bring new and less bittersweet events that would make him smile.

Another sharp pain from his head and Yami came to the reasonable conclusion that today was not going to be a good day.

Gently setting the VCR down, Yami ran over the plans he had for the day. One stood out above the rest and caused him to smile nervously and in excitement. Despite the rough start and the slight pang of pain in his head, Yami wasn't going to let anything happen that would discourage him from asking Ryou out. The pale teen was set to work at his half time job as waiter at the local cafe, a fact that was learned after months spying.

Taking a deep breath, Yami edged towards what was left of his bookcase and flipped through the many magazines he kept on the lower shelves. Each flashy plastic paged book contained a how-to-guide on different topics about dating, since he was probably the most inexperienced person out there, if his dubbed name "Dateless" meant anything. Most of the guides were on what to do with girls since the world was still a bit uncomfortable with homosexuals.

Yami had always had an open mind. Back in kindergarten, he had a small crush on a girl who'd help him get up after riding the slide at the playground, someone who had also moved away sometime after the first grade. It wasn't until he was almost in middle school and a new student from England named Ryou entered his class did he fathom the idea of being gay. Denial was the first step, as his mind kept telling him he still stared at some of the girls' breasts like all the other boys. Last year Yami had finally accepted that he was bisexual, though only confiding in his friend Bakura, who told him he couldn't have cared less (which was his way of saying he wouldn't abandon Yami just because he liked both genders).

Unfortunately, one of Bakura's fangirls had overheard the conversation and the next day everyone knew Yami swung both ways. He received daily shoves and stares, but overall the treatment was bearable. At least Ryou was blissfully unaware of his crush on him.

Though, Yami nearly had a heart attack when the pale boy had come out that he himself was into the same sex.

He spread out a few magazines he thought would be helpful and flicked on his iPod to drown out the silence in his house. A _My Chemical Romance_ song came on and he hummed to the tune, digging through his clothes to find a suitable outfit.

Since it was the last day of winter break before school started up again, Yami figured now was the best time to do it. Enjoy freedom while it lasted, right?

…Who was he kidding? He was as nervous as an inexperienced bomb defuser who didn't work well under pressure. Trying to keep his hands from shaking, he fumbled with the clothes on the bed and began thinking of possible incomes to his asking. He held one up to the tall mirror leaning against one of the walls.

"I heard he doesn't like this color…" Yami murmured before tossing the red cotton shirt to the growing pile of rejects. A breath puffed out his cheeks before he let it all out. He really was acting like a girl, wasn't he…?

Growling as Bakura's taunting voice entered his mind, Yami continued his search to find the perfect outfit as time ticked away towards the date he had been dreaming of for a while.

That is, if Ryou accepted the offer or not.

* * *

Yami stood outside of Maser's Cafe, a small bouquet of flowers somewhat hidden behind his back, containing such plants as red roses and a combination of both yellow and red tulips, each declaring a form of his love for Ryou.

He felt cheesy and hot, even in the chilled day of early January. The outfit had taken a little over an hour, but he eventually settled for a sleek black leather jacket, pluming dark blue jeans, and a spiked choker curled around his neck. A touch of kohl his father had given him after one of his many trips to Egypt made his dark violet eyes stand out more, or at least, that was what he was aiming for.

A cold sweat was forming just above his brow, his nerves making it appear like there was a pole running straight through his spine. His gaze was locked onto the entrance, a mix of determination and fear battling in his eyes. Slowly, his lifted one boot, as if to take the first step, but automatically slammed it back down to its original spot on the pavement as his nerves won out. This process repeated a few more times, drawing strange glances from the passerby's.

Inwardly, he was chiding himself. What was he doing? He knew there was going to be some hesitation, but _this?_ Pathetic…

Deciding to distract himself, he went over everything he needed in a mental checklist.

Fresh breath. Yami reached into his pocket and fumbled with an Icebreaker container, popping the minty solvent into his mouth to suck on vigorously. Check. Flowers. He stole a glance behind him and watched the wind gently blow the bouquet back and forth. Check. Fashion statement. A faint blush covered the bride of his nose as he shuffled his feet. His attire wasn't something he would wear in any other situation and in truth he felt a bit uncomfortable in all that leather, but it was for Ryou, so he would gladly bare it. Check.

Now all he had to do was ask him out.

"Alright…" he muttered, fists tightening in a sudden burst of confidence. "Let's do this." He put one foot forward again, this time allowing it to take the full step, then another, until he was striding towards the glass doors. Determined dark violet focused on the inside, not deteriorating until-

A sudden flash of white hair came into view, slightly formal clothes covering an almost deathly pale body. In his arms was a thin tray that held several used drinks. A dark flush flamed across Yami's face at the sight. _Ryou…_

Almost immediately, his legs switched positions and swung themselves around. Yami suddenly found himself walking in the opposite way he was supposed to, all confidence and determination depleted at the mere sight of his crush. _Pathetic._

He was about to make a break for his house so he could sulk for the rest of the day when a hand suddenly clasped itself onto Yami's wrist - the one holding the flowers - catching him off guard with a startled intake of breath. The hand tugged with enough strength to begin dragging the startled teen away, forcing him to stumble backwards as the person holding him ran a few blocks down the road.

"Hey!" Yami cried, managing to overcome his shock to tear his wrist from the other's grasp. "What's your problem, you-" All words other words died before reaching his throat as he turned towards his attacker. Wild white hair that stuck out at weird angles, sharp russet eyes that glinted red when under the sun, deathly pale pigment that looked as though the owner would die of blood loss at any second…

"Bakura?"

Bakura Tozoku, Yami's longtime friend and the only other person who knew of his crush on Ryou. Despite the albino's very similar appearance to the one he was crushing over, Yami held no feelings of attraction for the taller teen. He was far too annoying and selfish to deserve such a thing. Besides, as far as he knew, Bakura was straight.

"What'cha got there, Dateless?" Bakura taunted, crossing his arms while glaring down at the bouquet still clamped tightly in Yami's hands.

Yami scowled at the name. Ever since one of the class clowns had begun calling him by that name back in middle school, Bakura had made it a daily habit of also calling him it, especially since knowing of his problems with Ryou. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" He huffed, smoothing out the plastic wrap holding the bouquet together.

Being the oh so smart one he was, Bakura easily figured out what was going on without the nonexistent help Yami was providing. "Gonna finally ask him out, huh?" He snorted, shaking his head in fake disappointment. "In front of all those people? Where's your head, man?"

"But the latest issues said that this is what girls like!" Yami protested weakly.

"Pfft, yeah, exactly. _Girls_ love that stuff. But, if you hadn't noticed, Ryou's a _boy_." His arms gestured wildly around him to emphasize his point. "Besides, he's working right now. Too busy to go out with you." His mouth twitched in want of making another snide comment about his magazine readings, but Yami seemed put down enough…at least for now. His hand reached out and snatched up the battered bouquet, bringing out more protests. "I'll take these so they don't go to waste." Russet eyes scanned over Yami's attire, and couldn't help but comment. "And what's with the outfit? Decided to go emo?"

Frustration at Bakura's antics had Yami's face turn a slight red. "This is what's hot today! It's not _emo_, as you so kindly put it. Now give me back those flowers and leave me alone!" He grabbed at the desired object, though failing to grab it as Bakura lifted it up above his reaching zone with a playful 'tsk.'

"Yeah, yeah. Anywho…" The albino grabbed at Yami's collar dragging him back towards the cafe. "Let's go in and say a little greeting to your crush, shall we?"

"Wait!" Yami cried out, desperately trying to break free from his friend's grasp. "I-I'm not ready yet!" He was silenced by a rough knock to the back of the head.

They took a seat at one of the booths in the back, Yami sitting rigidly as his mind kept flashing the danger sign. Ryou was somewhere in there, working from table to table as the waiter. Soon, he would be popping up to take their order and…

Focusing on his breathing, Yami distracted himself by glancing at the other people. It was past the usual rush hour time, so there weren't as many as he had originally thought there would be, but enough to create a soft lulling sound of voices to add into the white noise. He diverted his attention to the table so he wouldn't accidentally spot Ryou and begin to freak out, something that he was certain would stain himself in the eyes of his crush for eternity.

"Bakura!" A light, airy voice broke into Yami's musings, freezing him solid. "What are you doing here?" He watched as his friend lifted one hand in greeting, getting out a slight smirk of friendliness. The newcomer hadn't seen Yami yet.

Steeling himself for the inevitable, the tri-colored haired teen slowly, ever so slowly, turned his head to see soft white hair, doe brown eyes, and a light green cafe uniform that suited the user perfectly.

If it was even possible, Ryou was even more beautiful - a word he uses lightly, since he was sure the pale boy wouldn't appreciate being called such a thing - than when Yami saw him last. His gaze was drawn immediately to those plump lips, slightly wet with moisture as if Ryou had just ran his tongue along them only a few seconds ago. An image of himself kissing those lips from his dream entered Yami's mind, causing the blood to rush to his face rapidly.

No. He can't be thinking of that. Ryou was here and his mind was elsewhere, something that would surely lead to bad consequences.

"Hi, Dateless."

Yami blinked, startled to hear such a sweet voice actually say a greeting to him. Though, of course he had to use the nickname he now currently loathed even more. A stifled snigger came from his right, and he promptly kicked Bakura from under the table. He smiled up at Ryou. "H-hello…?" It ended up more as a question, making himself cringe in horror.

Ryou giggled before turning to Bakura, the sound music to Yami's ears. The pale boy talked to Bakura for a while, the wilder teen listening politely - something very usual for him. Yami didn't particularly mind, since it allowed him to observe his crush from close up instead of the usual far away outlook.

Funny, now that he was close enough, he could see how far apart their hearts really were…

Yami bit his lip. He shouldn't be so pessimistic, after all, Bakura had dragged him there just so he could ask Ryou out, so no use wasting this time, right? Yes, he'll ask Ryou out as soon as his courage builds itself up enough.

"What are those flowers for, Bakura?" Ryou's voice yet again cut into Yami's thoughts, though this time made him stiffen in alarm. The flowers Yami had originally brought for Ryou sat innocently between Yami and Bakura, leaning against the latter's shoulder. Curses towards his friend for leaving it in such a visible place rang through Yami's head.

Bakura blinked before putting on a smile to hide his scrambling thoughts. "Oh, these? Ah, well, a girl gave them to me." He said, picking up the bouquet to let Ryou see them better. Of course, Bakura was referring to the large fangirl group that always followed him around at school. They often gave him gifts to show their affection, all of which he rejects, some more harshly than others, depending on his mood.

Something flashed in Ryou's expression, tracing a rose petal absentmindedly, not seeming to notice that Bakura was beginning to get uncomfortable. "Hmm…" the hum vibrating in Ryou's throat before his soft voice took over. "The girls adore you, huh?"

Yami saw his chance. He reached out and pulled one of the tulips out, thrusting it in Ryou's direction. "T-this is for you…" He mumbled under his breath, barely audible.

Everything was still for a few moments as Ryou blinked blankly at the wilting flower. "Ah, no, thank you. That's Bakura's flower…I wouldn't want to take it." Yami wanted to laugh at the idea of Bakura wanting a flower, but the feeling of rejection made his lips twitch.

Bakura tugged harshly on the edge of Yami's coat, forcing the other to fall back down into his seat with a small grunt. The teen was undeterred, however, and tried once more.

"You get off at one, right?" His mouth was set at an awkward angle due to the nerves he was feeling.

Ryou frowned in suspicion. "Well, yeah…But how do you know that?"

"Great, then we can do something afterwards, yeah?" Yami rushed into the question, not even bothering to answer the prior responding inquiry from the other.

Bakura blinked, mouth slightly agape. Did Yami just…ask someone out? And _Ryou_ no less, someone he knew to hold mass affections from the tri-colored haired teen. His russet eyes narrowed on Ryou, automatically knowing what the answer would be. He had to step in.

"Yeah, we could all go together someplace! It's the last day of vacation, after all." Bakura was no fool. He could see that Ryou had paid little to no attention to Yami, and mostly had tried to coerce Bakura into talking. There was also a certain shine in those doe brown eyes that the wilder teen recognized from all the girls who followed him constantly.

He was sure that it wasn't Yami who held the adoration of Ryou Mizumori.

"S-sure. We should go swimming!" Ryou smiled brightly, with the hint of a blush forming on his cheeks.

Yami sat bemused. Swimming in winter? Strange, though they could go to an indoor one. Plus, it would give him the chance to secretly leer at more of Ryou's perfect skin. No, what was really bothering him was why Bakura was coming with. The wild teen knew how much Yami wanted to go on a date with Ryou, so why come along?

He caught the other's gaze and Bakura winked once Ryou wasn't looking. Yami gave a faint smile in return, relief causing his muscles to finally relax.

Looks like Bakura was more of a helper than he had thought.

* * *

The local amusement park, having been looking for a way for people to enjoy it all year round, had decided to open up its heated, indoor swimming pool to the public. So far, they had attracted most of the town's population, especially with winter break still being in effect.

This was the place the trio had decided to go once the clock had struck one. They met up with swim bags in hand and entered the locker room to get changed. Once putting on his baggy black swim trunks, Yami was almost blown away when he saw Ryou's clinging and short - oh, _so_ short - light blue swim trunks. He eyeballed the pale boy for a few moments before Bakura, with his flame red trunks, came out and knocked him on the back of the head to help him regain his senses.

Fighting off the deep blush on his cheeks, Yami followed his friend and crush over to the large pool, slipping into the lukewarm water. Bakura went in next, though staying by the ledge so he could rest without having to kick his legs. Ryou just sat down next to his wilder look-a-like, kicking his thin legs back and forth as his mind wandered.

They were granted a few minutes of peacefulness before a squeal sounded from their right. Turning to see what was happening, they were met with the unpleasing sight of a group of high school girls, all of them giggling and gushing loudly about Bakura.

Seems as though _someone's_ fangirls had decided to take a little dip as well…

Bakura scowled, making sure his back was to the annoying girls. Ryou's mouth twitched before he let out an exhausted sigh. "They sure are persistent, aren't they?" The inquiry wasn't aimed at anyone, nor did it require an answer, so the other two teens ignored it.

After a few more minutes of having to listen to their obnoxious chittering, the girls finally decided to approach them. "Hello, Bakura-kun~!" One of the girls sang out, leaning over said teen, almost exposing her large breasts in the process. Her eyes strayed to Ryou, then finally rested onto Yami, causing an intake of breath.

"You brought _Dateless_ with you?!" She cried, pointing rudely at the lanky teen. Several snickers came from the other girls, their hushed voices exchanging the daily gossip surrounding him.

Yami growled lowly, but didn't say anything. Everything he could say would just be used against him, so he took the liberty to remain silent. In reality, he wanted to shove his middle finger in the air and wag it in front of their faces as insults poured from his mouth like a waterfall, but he couldn't do that with Ryou watching.

A loud sigh drew Ryou and Yami's attention to Bakura, who had turned to face the ledge of the pool. "I'd better go and deal with these nuisances." He spoke like the fangirls weren't just a foot away from him. "You two behave while I'm gone." Yami fought back a flush when his friend shot him a sultry wink, an insane smirk going ever so kindly along with it.

The wild albino teen pulled himself from the pool and walked towards the restroom, the girls eagerly floating behind him.

Yami stole a glance at his crush, who watched Bakura leave with guarded eyes. Perhaps he was disappointed that Bakura was gone? It seemed that way until he turned and gave his shy smile, speaking, "Then I guess it's just us, then?"

Dark violet eyes grew wide and beamed, his heart giving a happy skip. Finally, he was going to receive the attention he had been obsessing over.

Ryou drew up his legs and shook off the straying water droplets. "Let's go to the diving board, yeah?" He asked, offering his hand to help Yami out.

Staring at the hand, Yami momentarily wondered what it would feel like. Would it be soft? Firm? Callused? Rough? There were so many possibilities that he almost forgot to actually grab ahold of it to find out, but once he did, all other thoughts besides how warm and smooth it felt promptly left his mind.

Oh, yes, life was good at that very moment.

The moment right after…Not so much.

As Yami's second foot reached up to rest on the ledge, having already brought up one, the pool water coating the tile surface caused him to lose traction and slip back towards the water. With his grip still clamped tightly in Ryou's hands and even tightening it as he felt the sensation of free fall, poor Ryou could do nothing but follow the path downwards.

Just before he hit the surface, Yami couldn't help but wonder what it was with him and falling today.

Ryou's body crashed into Yami's as the impact of his back against the water slowed his descent, a large splash of water suddenly surrounding them before the feeling of liquid splashed their bare skin. Soon enough, they were both completely under.

The loudness of the sound of skin smacking against water attracted most of the attention of the other pool users, watching carefully as the duo broke the surface to take a collective gasp of welcomed air. Upon seeing that they were alright, the audience went back to their own fun and games.

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked once his breath had returned, rubbing a sore spot she had bumped when connecting with Yami's sharp features. "I'm sorry…"

"No, no!" Yami quickly interrupted, his voice a bit breathless. "It was my fault…"

He trailed as a soft, airy giggle came from Ryou's lips, the sweet voice sounding shortly after. "Sorry…"

For around the hundredth time that day, Yami's cheeks adapted the color akin to a cherry. Everything that had been happening, just in that hour suddenly caught up with him, and he felt the air leave his lungs once more. And as they stared at each other for a few more heartbeats, Yami couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, Ryou did indeed like him.

* * *

After a few rounds of jumping off the ten foot diving board, Ryou and Yami eventually decided to call it a day and go find Bakura. Though the idea wasn't so appealing to Yami, since he still craved for more time to spend with his crush, he soon brightened when they found out that his friend couldn't shake off those pesky fangirls, having instead relented to their pleads and agreed to let them hang out with him. And because Ryou refused to leave Bakura alone in the grabby hands of his fans, they all decided to hang out together.

Since the pool idea had been a success, the amusement park had came to the decision to open it and some of the stands for people to hang out in, though keeping most of the rides closed and only allowing this if the temperature was above or around freezing. So far, the idea was playing out well with the guests.

Currently, the group of around five fangirls were crowded around Bakura, babbling about something they probably thought was important, but what the wild teen thought has annoying noise while Yami and Ryou lingering behind. The softer albino was gushing about how the idea of swimming was a great one, one that they should do again sometime. Yami chuckled, but agreed nonetheless. All the while he was thinking about how well they got along, secretly wishing it could be more.

A sudden thought entered his head and wouldn't leave him be. Bakura and his mooning fangirls were getting farther and farther away, now so that they were out of earshot. Now would be the perfect time to tell Ryou about how he felt…

Yami took a deep breath, tightening his hands into fists as he steeled himself up once more. He could do this, he could do this, he _could_ do this.

"Ryou, I-"

"Hey, Ryou!" The universe seemed to hate him, as seeing that he was interrupted by one of the fangirls. "Come on, we're going to see the fortuneteller!"

Ryou smiled apologetically at Yami before pulling him towards the small and decorative building that housed the amusement park's infamous fortuneteller. The girls instantly swallowed Ryou into their conversation, surprising Yami, since he had thought they weren't friendly towards each other at all. Bakura fell back and joined Yami, not saying a word, as the other could plainly see the extreme annoyance radiating off of him.

They entered the building, instantly noticing the dark contrast to the bright outside world. The only light was being emitted from the middle of the room, where a crystal ball was placed on a small circular table. Behind it sat a cloaked figure, his features masked by the black silk and shadows. His voice rasped, though held a sense of wisdom when he spoke.

"Welcome to the House of Fortune," his head tilted so only his mouth was shone. "Whose fortune shall I tell first?"

One of the girls sniggered, then shoved Yami's back hard enough for the mysterious man to see him. "Dateless should go first!"

"Me?" Yami asked dumbly, unable to move backwards once the fangirls blocked his way, each wearing devious grins. All further objections left once the man motioned him to sit on the chair opposite of himself.

After taking a seat, the man waved his hands just an inch off of the crystal ball's surface, humming softly in his concentration. Yami barely contained the sigh he wished to let out. Of course, this guy probably wasn't even real. He was just a scam, really, as was the whole magic business.

Though, he began to second guess his opinion when the man finally spoke. "Ah, I see great troubles in your love life." The man ignored the blush on Yami's cheeks and the snort coming from somewhere in the group. The tri-colored haired teen stiffened, suddenly worrying about what this guy had to say next.

"Oh, and the person of your desires is here with us as well..."

As the building filled with disgusted screeches and horrified squeals, Yami seriously began to rethink his previous thoughts about this fortuneteller.

* * *

Alright, so there's Chapter 1. Not sure when the next one will be up, though. Just have to play it by ear, I guess.

Yuugi will be in the next chapter, for all who are wondering.

Now if you excuse me, I have to go write the next chapter of Circling.

R&R~


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I don't know why, but this is the only thing my mind wants to work on right now...

Okay, so this chapter introduces just some of the angst we will be experiencing throughout this story. I don't know whether to be guilty or happy that I'm torturing the characters so...but _meh._

Oh, and Yuugi makes an appearance...sort of.

Thanks to my three reviewers, who really helped me want to continue this with their positive reviews. And, of course, thanks to those who have favorited and followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

Yami stood outside the House of Fortune, dark violet eyes scanning the small crowd for any sign of Bakura or Ryou while shouldering his swimming bag.

After the fortuneteller had revealed what he did and the whole building erupted into a mass chaos of screams, Yami had immediately excused himself to the bathroom, his face almost as pale as Bakura's. Once he had splashed enough cold water onto his face and had gotten the blood to flow regularly again, the teen had taken a great breath and prepared himself to confront a whole group of fangirls demanding to know who it was he liked.

Except, there was no one he recognized outside. Nor was there anyone inside the House of Fortune, not even the fortuneteller, who had put up a sign saying he was out for a small break.

Feeling horridly confusion, Yami decided to do what his teachers always told him to do in these situations; stay put and wait for someone to find you. Of course, this entailed that he had to stand in mid thirty degree weather with hair still a bit damp from the earlier swimming. He didn't really expect anyone to come. Ryou was a maybe, and Bakura was a perhaps, though doubted, since his fangirls seemed very keen in hogging all of his attention.

"Hey!" Yami turned sharply to his right, managing his best glare. Bakura instantly slowed his pace, the previous smile morphing into a harden scowl. They stared down each other before Yami finally broke the silence.

"Where did you go?"

Bakura snorted. "Don't get your panties in a twist. The girls were just getting impatient with you, so they dragged me and Ryou off to the ferris wheel. I managed to slip out of line when they weren't looking." He wore that confident smirk that declared his victory to be true.

Yami cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else. Instead, a long, drawn out sigh came from his chapped lips. "I guess we should probably wait for them. I don't want Ryou to think I ditched him." He began to walk past his albino friend, but a firm hand onto his forearm stopped any more movement. Another session of silence passed between them, but this time, it was more…hesitant.

"I was thinking about telling Ryou your little secret." The albino finally murmured, his gaze trained on a decorative trashcan. "But, you know, not in an embarrassing way."

"…Wait are you talking about, Tozoku?" Yami growled. Back when he had told the other about his crush on Ryou, he had made Bakura swear on his life that he wouldn't utter a word about it to anyone, lest he endangered their friendship. And, despite what he always said, the relationship between the two was very important to Bakura.

However, instead of snapping right back at Yami like he usually would, the albino remained calm and thoughtful. It unnerved the other greatly.

"I mean, the fortuneteller guy said that your crush was in the same room, and Ryou _was_ there..." Balura finally released Yami's shoulders just to roll his own lazily. "I'd say it's a perfect time to confess...Wouldn't you agree?" His British accent, one that was also similar to little Ryou's with the added feeling of insanity, increased at his last statement in a futile attempt to sound more proper, an act that never failed to make Yami smile. This time was no different.

Despite having an agreeing smile, Yami was still internally debating with himself. Is this really the best time? Would he not get any better chances if he didn't take this one? But...what if he doesn't like him in that way? Could he handle such heartbreak?

Unfortunately, his inner musings were cut off as Bakura became impatient, roughing shoving Yami's shoulders in the direction of a small hill that overlooked the rest of the city. "Go wait over there while he finishes up the ride. I'll tell him to meet you there." And with that, the sly albino disappeared into the thin crowd, slipping past others to get to where he was before.

Yami watched him go for a few moments before turning to the hill, critically examining the setting. The clear sky was radiant with no hint of cloud dust, it's color slowly fading into a pale pinkish orange. With it being close to evening already, a soft glow of lights surrounding the tall buildings in the distance, almost blending with the unique sky color. The barely alive grass upon the hill was still visible despite the snow, low hanging trees protecting it from the harshest days of winter.

He was scared to admit that Bakura had just unwittingly set up his ideal confession environment.

The teen gave a small sigh before sitting under the tree, hugging his knees to his chest as he gazed at the perfect view. Though, he didn't have to wait long before a crack of a twig alerted him to another's presence.

Ryou sat down silently, loosely mimicking Yami's position on the ground. Neither said anything for a short while, both just taking in everything. Doubts once again decided to make themselves present in Yami's mind, forcing his fingers to rub light circles onto his knees in an attempt to distract himself. In the end, it was the petite albino who began the conversation.

"So," he drawled out, a playful smile coming to his lips as he turned to face Yami. "Was what the fortuneteller said true? Who's the one your heart desires?" The other could sense the barely held back snort that wanted to come out, but ignored it due to the sudden rise of heartbeats in his chest.

"W-who…?" Yami chuckled nervously, reaching a hand behind his head to scratch at it as his eyes travelled everywhere except those doe brown orbs. "Well…"

A soft nudge to his side caught Yami's utmost attention. "C'mon, you can tell me!" Ryou chirped while a bright smile. However, it faded some before he murmured the next statement. "…Right?"

Yami gulped, wanting to look away from that cute, chibi face that was slightly cocked to the right in confusion with his behavior. Fluffy white locks strayed across his forehead and into his eyes, shadowing some of the very, _very_ few blemishes that marked his face. Oh, no, he couldn't possibly look away from something like that. Especially if it was Ryou.

Apparently impatient with the long periods between answers, Ryou huffed - an action that made Yami want to coo - and crossed his arms stubbornly. The new position and added cuteness caused the other to bit his lip to contain any other unwanted sounds. Though, in hindsight, this wasn't the very best solution to his problem.

Interpreting all of Yami's actions like the answers he seeked were life changingly important - though in a way they were - Ryou came up with a foolproof plan to make him talk. Darting as fast as a snake, the albino shoved his fingers into Yami's sides, dancing across the hidden skin in a way not even close to the description of 'softly.' And so, Yami's plan of keeping quiet immediately fell down the drain as bouts of laughter burst from his lips, arms flailing in attempt to thwart his attacker.

"O-okay! Okay! I g-give up, I'll t-tell!" Yami inevitably cried, breathing in deeply as the invasive fingers retreated to their owner's own personal bubble.

Ryou smirked in a way almost akin to Bakura, leaning in close to hear what he desired. Yami, whose face was still flushed from his earlier exertion, tried to keep the distance between them by edging a bit farther away. Whether or not he noticed, Ryou didn't make any comment and just stared expectantly instead.

However, Yami just couldn't find the confidence to spill the beans. His heart rate spiked at the thought of confessing, so he once again dodged the question. "Heh, nah, I won't tell you." He just needed a little more time.

The smirk curled into a displeased frown with a hint of amusement, another huff blowing away some of his white bangs. "Liar." Ryou accused softly, gently knocking his fist into Yami's shoulder. The so called 'hit' brought out a blooming warmth in Yami's chest, bringing him new courage as well.

Maybe he could do this. They certainly were getting along well, and Ryou looked to be having fun. Not once had anyone came to interrupt them, leading Yami to believe Bakura was out handling his fangirls. A new appreciation for his friend evolved. This was all his doing, wasn't it?

As a plan to figure out if Ryou liked him back without coming out himself began to formulate, Yami made a mental note to thank Bakura in a way that the wild teen would accept.

"Hey, but if you tell me your crush, maybe I'll tell mine." Yami suggested, inwardly tensing as he awaiting an answer.

Ryou's face darkened at once. That friendly and amused frown lifted into a thin line, lips slightly pursed. His eyes lost their shine and glazed over in what appeared to be sorrow, but Yami knew it only hid more emotions beneath.

After all, it was what he felt everytime he thought of Ryou not sharing the same feelings he felt.

"My crush…" A humorless, dry chuckled softly sounded. "It's hopeless…" Dread began to fill Yami's pores, silent prays for his thoughts about what he was saying were dead wrong. "Everyone likes my crush…I'm not even sure if he's gay or not."

That cinched it. Something wedged itself deep within Yami's throat, preventing him from saying or doing anything. At that moment, he knew that it was not himself who held Ryou's heart. No, that right belonged to the person currently fighting off his fangirls so Yami could confess to his longtime crush.

If only life were that simple.

* * *

Bakura sighed, plopping himself down onto a bench to finally relax. After what seemed like hours of trying to convince those bloody fangirls to take a hike and leave for home, the teen had finally managed to do just that. It was a shame the price was a promise to let them hang out with him all day tomorrow.

Another scowl morphed his previously serene face. Oh, yes, Yami was going to owe him big time after this.

_Speaking of which,_ he thought, rocking his body so momentum would swing him out of his seat. _I should probably go see how things are going with them…_ After a minute of stretching sore and tense muscles, Bakura made his way through the crowd to find whom he presumed were now a lovely couple.

* * *

The silence stretched on, farther than it had ever gone before. Yami was still staring at Ryou's blank expression, unable to look away for the different reason of horror. His nightmares were coming true right before his eyes. Every errotic dream of Ryou squirming underneath him shattered into millions of pieces and were set to flame. Though, in reality, he should've seen this coming. If he had just paid closer attention to the looks Ryou would often send towards Yami's best friend, ones of longing and jealousy, then he wouldn't be feeling such heartbreak.

It was his fault he got burned.

"People compete for his attention on a daily basis." Ryou eventually broke the stillness, fiddling with a dead piece of grass. The muddled brown string rolled easily between his fingers, crinkling when unwanted pressure was applied to weak areas. "I'm not very good at that sort of thing…" He lifted the blade to his eyes, a pained smile painting his features. "Besides, he doesn't seem to care for me that much."

It was then Yami realized something. Even though he loved Ryou and would do anything to get him to love him back, Yami would also do anything and everything to make him happy. And if that meant sacrificing his own happiness and dreams, then so be it.

The piece of grass dropped from Ryou's fingers and danced into a small breeze, drifting away and towards the brightening city and darkening sky. "You've probably figured it out by now." Doe brown eyes turned to dark violet, their shine somewhat coming back. "So, what about your crush? Who is it?"

Yami shook his head vigorously. There wasn't a chance in the world he was going to confess now. Plus, there was something more important to address.

"You can't just give up!" The tri-colored haired teen protested, his voice practically booming compared to the volume they had been previously using. "You don't know for sure what he thinks of you, so you shouldn't be so quick to judge."

He would've said more, but another voice broke in and made the two on the hill stiffen like boards.

"Excuse me for barging in on you two, but it seems as though you've gotten along swimmingly without me~!"

Yami whipped around to the sing song voice so fast, he almost got whiplash. There, crouching at the crest of the small hill, was the one he and Ryou were currently discussing. A smug grin was on Bakura's face, his posture screaming at Yami that he was going to follow the plan no matter what he did.

It didn't stop him from at least trying to signal him to not say a word.

"You know…" The wild teen drawled, one hand coming up to cup his own chin in fake thought, completely ignoring the barely subtle gestures his friend was giving him. "I'll bet that Ryou is the one who holds Yami's heart, yeah?"

"Eh?" Ryou breathed, pink dusting his cheeks. Yami's breath hitched. His whole body seemed to be pounding in time with his heart. Silently, he cursed Bakura's stupidity. There was no way he was going to thank him later on now.

Yami forced his lips into a fragile smile and pushed a bark of clipped laughter out, waving a hand dismissively in the air. "Th-that's not true. Quit fooling around, Bakura." He shot his friend a warning glare, of which he finally got.

"Ah, yeah. Just kidding is all." Bakura said, running his gaze over the other two to figure out what happened while he was gone.

"Oh, okay." Yami's heart threatened to shatter when he detected a small hint of relief in Ryou's quiet voice. Doe brown focused on wandering dark violet, and the latter knew exactly what he was going to ask. "Alright, no more diversions. I want the truth." Bakura perked up and if he ears and a tail, they certainly would be on alert as he leaned forward more to hear what was said next.

"I told you about my crush on Bakura, so now you have to tell me who your crush is."

Everything went still. Of course, there was no volume change in Ryou's voice, so both of the others teens heard just fine. Any color left in the tame albino's cheeks drained away once he realized what he had said. Both Yami and Ryou waited with bated breath to see how Bakura would react.

However, it wasn't as extreme as they thought it'd be. Several scenarios that involved Bakura either accepting Ryou's feelings and admitting his own, or getting upset that yet _another_ person was after him and begin yelling his lungs out ran through both their heads. In actuality, though, the wild albino just smiled politely and looked steadily into Ryou's gaze.

"Sorry…But your not my type."

Yami winced, feeling his heart break once more as he tried to imagine what the tamer boy would be thinking. Another crack ripped through him as he realized just how horrid he was feeling, having only felt it a few moments prior. Yami shouldn't have been so surprised. Bakura had always been on the blunt side, but the lanky teen had thought that his friend would've had the decency to at least act sympathetic when turning someone down. Perhaps all those rejections of the past had built up a kind of apathetic wall around him.

His musings were cut off as sudden movement came from Ryou's direction. The boy had stood quickly, his face hidden by the hair that hung over his downward turned face. A broken, forced smile made Ryou's face twitch. "That's alright, I guess." His voice was quiet and thick, as if he was holding back something. "I'll just have to find someone else, yeah?"

Bakura nodded in approval in Ryou's apparent quick recovery. "Yeah, I think I know some guys you might like." The offer seemed like a nice gesture, if it was used in a whole other situation, that is.

In a flash of white, Ryou was walking past them at an increased pace. Yami growled, getting up himself to follow. However, he spared Bakura a sour glare as he passed.

"What the hell's your problem, Sennen?" The stubborn teen called after him, and Yami was very tempted to shout it right back at him.

Instead, he jogged to catch up with the boy. "Ryou." Yami reached out to gently touched the other's shoulder when Ryou suddenly halted. Silence reigned over them for a few moments, and Yami was beginning to worry if he was somehow angry at him. Was this his way of accusing him of forcing him to spill his feelings for Bakura right in front of him…?

Slowly, a pale face turned so half of it was revealed. The expression Yami saw made him flinch away. It was so broken, so hurt, so confused. Dull brown stared at the pavement, refusing to look anywhere near the other teen. They stayed like that for only a heartbeat before Ryou spun on his heel and ran towards the park entrance, no doubt wanting to escape this day as much as Yami did.

It took a few minutes, but Yami eventually was able to move his legs, numbly walking back home. He would've taken the bus, but he knew people would probably get uncomfortable about the endless amount of tears streaming down his face. So he began the mile walk, quietly brooding, not over himself, but over Ryou.

If only he hadn't been such a coward. Simply lying could've sufficed Ryou's curiosity and save them from this disaster. Sweet little Ryou didn't deserve any of this…

Yami had to stop in the middle of the sidewalk as his sobs became to much to hold in. Guilt and sorrow overcame him in such a way, he needed the support of a nearby wall to help him stand.

* * *

It was getting late. His legs were sore and his eyes still stung from his tears, but overall Yami was fine. He had been walking for quite a while, and would probably regret it once he got up for school tomorrow. His breakdown was behind him, and he was willing to never think of it again, as it had attracted some embarrassing attention.

A rueful snort pushed past the dried snot stuck inside his nose. Yeah, because _that_ was the thing that kept plaguing his thoughts.

There was a small flash of light on the edge of his vision. Blinking to clear himself of any hallucinations, Yami turned to see a store he had never seen before. "Gokuraku Paradise Video Rental," it read. Strange, since he didn't know video rentals were still around, with all the online orderings now-a-days. He spotted CD's and VHS's from his spot outside, and momentary excitement replaced his sadness. The idea of finally watching something on his old VCR lifted his spirits and made him enter immediately, taking in the bright atmosphere and warm colors.

No one was in his line of sight, not even at the check out counter. Several aisles lined the shop, an old and lone television sitting on a small table by the counter. A number of genres hung above each aisle, being assorted into alphabetical order from what he could tell. Yami, not very sure what he was looking for, let his feet carry him to a specific category. He glanced up at the sign and flushed bright red.

"Of course I walk straight towards the 'Adult' section…" he muttered to himself, eyes grazing across teasing covers of discs and tapes. Though he never had a real need for sex, Yami was still a teenage boy with raging hormones, and right now, he could use something to distract him.

One tape in particular caught his eye. A small boy was on the cover, wearing a cute and puffy shirt that increased his innocence. Wide amethyst eyes stared back at him from a porcelain face, hands clasped together just below his chin. A soft smile graced his lips, the twinkling of his eyes surpassing that of camera lights. Black hair rose from his scalp, soft blond bangs framing the cherubic face. A small tint of violet edged his hair. "I'll Comfort You," read the title, a smaller text reading off to the side, "Yuugi Mutou."

Yami picked up the VHS, somehow feeling a sense of familiarity towards this Yuugi boy, as if he'd seen him somewhere before…

Shrugging it off, he flipped the tape over and scanned the quick summary. _"You'll fall head-over-heels for innocent, sweet sixteen Yuugi Mutou." _A wistful chuckle came from his lips. Of course he'd be exactly his type of guy.

He glanced up at the sign above the aisle with its clearly printed "Adult" written on it. He'd love to rent the video, but in order to do so you had to be eighteen or older. He was only sixteen.

"You like him, eh?"

The sudden voice, old and raspy with wisdom, came from directly behind him, just a few feet away. Yami's shoulders gave a surprised spazm, fright causing his heart to leap to his throat as he spun around to face the newcomer.

It was an old man dressed in navy overalls, white shirt underneath. He was short, only barely reaching to Yami's shoulders. An orange bandana was tied loosely around spiky gray hair, squinted violet eyes staring at the younger expectantly. Fringed golden bangs outlined his wrinkled face, an apologetic smile showing on his wrinkled face. A name tag hung just below his left shoulder, neatly printed letters spelling out the name "Sugoroku."

Yami was sure if this old man had been someone his age, he would've fainted.

A drawn out sigh shook the young teen out of his stupor. "It's been a while since we've had a customer…" Sugoroku's gaze lingered on Yuugi's bright and happy face before turning back to the counter to brush off nonexistent dust. "I believe you are…the third, if my memory serves me correctly."

The newfound information shocked the teen. Only three customers? He understood that video rentals were rare and almost at a graveyard state today, but to only have such a small amount of customers, not in a day, or week, or even month, but in _total?_ With another glance around, Yami realized that the store didn't even look that new. The carpet was worn, a few of the aisles cracked and faded, dust lingering in the air. It had to have been open for at least a year, if not more.

"Only the pure-hearted may see this store…" Sugoroku continued, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together in thought, his smile morphing into a more sly form. His head snapped to the side, boring his gaze into Yami's confused dark violet for just a moment, quickly returning to his observation of the counter before the teen could question it. "For example, a pure-hearted guy would be someone who had just gotten his heart broken, but is now crying over another's pain." An amused snort made his figure shake in mirth.

Yami felt something akin to fear and suspicion shook through his spine, his breathing becoming labored. "How…How did you know?"

Sugoroku turned and just smiled as an answer. A wrinkled hand shuffled into his pocket, digging out a small card, which he examined for a minute before holding it out. "This is a special membership card. With this, you can visit this store whenever you'd like," he winked and added, "so make sure you don't lose it."

With a shaky hand, Yami took the card. It had a simple design, looking more like a library card than anything else. A sudden thought had Yami's voice coming back up. "Okay, so what's the membership fee? Rental fee?" However, when he looked back up, the old man was already walking towards the door towards the back, humming a cheerful tune. "H-hey! Wait-"

The door slammed shut, cutting off anymore protests. Yami stood there for a while, mouth agape in disbelief. The old man had not even asked his age, of which was lower than what was allowed to watch such a video. He obviously didn't look eighteen, his shorter than average height mainly accounting to that. Beyond that, he hadn't even mentioned the price for renting the video. Surely it wouldn't be free, even with a member's card. This store hadn't seen hide nor hair of someone for a while, it seemed, so why wouldn't he jump at the chance to get the money needed to keep the place running? On that thought, just _what_ had he said about only those of a pure heart may see the store?

His many questions would remain unanswered, however, as the backdoor stayed tightly closed. Still brimming with confusion, Yami reluctantly left with the tape and card, though not without leaving a thousand yen on the clean counter as a small payment.

* * *

Yami arrived home almost an hour later, practically collapsing onto his bed. Sighing irritably, he realized that he wasn't even tired enough to fall asleep. Groaning loudly, his mind raced to think of ways to lull him to sleep. Almost instantly, he looked to the tape with the boy Yuugi's pretty face staring back at him. He cursed himself for his thoughts, but forced himself up anyways.

Trying not to think of the fact that he had just found out that his crush will probably never like him and now he was going to watch some porn he wasn't even old enough to watch anyways - which was technically given to him by a strange old man - Yami turned on his TV and VCR, slipping the black tape inside of the box without a moment's hesitation. He slid to the area just before the television, his back leaning against the front of his bed as it read the tape. An odd whirring sound that he had never heard before came from the battered box, followed closely by a few loud klanks before the TV began playing.

Yami bit his lip, thinking back to what happened earlier that morning. He desperately hoped it wasn't broken, eyes focused on the fuzzy, thinking screen in front of him.

A small tingling sound, light as a feather, sounded from the television as the fuzziness blurred out, morphing into the familiar figure of the boy on the cover of the tape. A light, airy giggle came from the speakers, one pale hand covering his mouth in a useless way of hiding his cheerfulness. Beautiful, yet impossible, amethyst eyes opened to half mast, staring straight through the screen and right into Yami's heart.

"Hello."

It was a simple word, a simple greeting, and yet it set the teen's face ablaze. Yuugi's voice was a feather, smoothing down the side of Yami's face and into his ears, where his hearing happily rose to catch it. So quickly did he forget about Ryou and Bakura and rejection and heartache. His heartbeat increased to a speed that was probably unhealthy for his blood pressure as his gaze remained fixated on the boy in front of him.

Yuugi's expression suddenly lost its charm, being instead replaced with worried and concern. "Oh? What's wrong?" Even his voice displayed true feelings, eyes flashing like signalling lights. It took a moment, one that seemed so out of place and quiet Yami almost thought the video had frozen over, but Yuugi eventually softened. "Ah, I see…He loves someone else."

Yami had to stifle a snort. It seemed as though he had made a good choice back at the store, since this video boy was just beginning to describe his whole day, practically his whole high school career. Memories of the amusement park flooded back into his mind, and his mood automatically grew withdrawn, his orbs of dark violet dimming somewhat.

"Don't look so sad," Yuugi's soft voice drew his attention back to the television, and he managed a half smile at the pixelated face. "That boy can't see all of those great parts of you." The camera seemed to zoom in just as the boy leaned closer, the most trustworthy smile playing at the tips of those plump, shining lips.

He knew that this boy was just a video, something that wasn't real and never was going to be, but he couldn't help but smile back, voicing his thanks with a small mumble of gratitude. Anyone watching him would've thought he was crazy.

"I may not be good enough…" The smile faded into something more sorrowful, mixing with self hatred at his supposed uselessness. "But I'll try my best…to comfort you."

Those words, spoken with such devotion and determination…It almost seemed as though Yuugi really meant them, though Yami knew that could only work if the boy came out and gave his comfort in person. Tears pricked at the edge of Yami's vision as he stared back into those large, expressive eyes. He was only a video, and yet…he seemed so _real._

"You really need me, don't you?" A guarded look shadowed his face. Yami blinked as the screen grew brighter and brighter by the second. "Alright then…From this point on, I'll be with you."

"Eh?"

Before he could react, a blinding flash erupted, causing Yami to shield his eyes as a surprised and confused cry echoed from his mouth. Different noises crashed around him, giving him mixed signals as to what was happening. Something akin to a laser sounded in front of him - the direction of the television. He gasped, shivering as warm feelings enveloped him like a welcoming embrace. The sensation of floating invaded his senses for what seemed like hours, but was only mere seconds in reality. It felt so…nice, and…_comforting._

A mechanical screech interrupted his euphoria, followed by a pain filled gasp. Yami's eyes flew open, all the warm and fuzziness he felt a moment earlier gone. What awaited him forced his jaw to go slack and words to avoid him entirely.

From the screen, a boy floated halfway out. His whole front balanced just above the floor, his feet just barely visible in the pixeled screen behind him. Frightened amethyst eyes stared back at Yami for a few moments before they scrunched shut and a scream ripped through the boy's throat, his body suddenly being thrown out of the TV at an accelerated rate. Yami's eyes stayed on the screen as the boy flew over his head, landing roughly on the bed behind him. The television remained on, the black stripes zipping across the screen as a low buzzing sound began to play.

"Wh-what the…?" Yami's shaken voice breathed, his hands clutching his pants in shock and fright. He let a few moments of silence pass before he slowly, _very_ slowly, turned his head so he could see just what was laying on his bed.

It was the boy from the video, his legs splayed out on the headrest, head lolled to the side in his unconsciousness while his arms sat parallel to his hanging feet. The upside-down position did not look comfortable in the least, but Yami was too frozen to really care over that small detail.

"He…h-he came from…_the TV_?" Another shocked whisper. Hands came up to grasp the loose strands of hair, tugging harshly in attempt to find out if he was dreaming or not. An acute pain from his scalp informed him he was not.

Somewhere deep within his mind, Yami finally connected that this boy was the one he had dreamed about the night before, just a few life changing hours before.

* * *

And there you have it. Not sure when the next one will come, but I really gotta work on Circling...

R&R~


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This very long chapter introduces you to Yuugi, takes a break from the angst, and makes Yami blush..._a lot._ Not very sure how it turned out...

**Warning:** Major OOCness

Thanks to all the wonderful reviews/favorites/follows!

Enjoy~

* * *

The only sounds that could be heard were the harsh buzz of the television behind them and Yami's ragged breathing. The faint light from the screen cast shadows over his figure, cloaking the small form on the bed in darkness. Dark violet eyes were wide and wild, not daring to blink or look away lest this mysterious boy suddenly disappeared, making him come to the conclusion that he was losing his mind and desperately needed a good night's sleep.

Soon the shock died down somewhat, just enough for him to move his limbs and take a hesitant step forwards. When the boy didn't stir from this minimal movement, he cautiously lifted one leg to rest on the edge of the bed, leaning closer to see if this was indeed a real boy and not some crazy illusion or advanced hologram. A pale and shaky hand reached forward slowly, stopping just before the boy's nose. With a thick swallow, Yami ventured further, just barely allowing his fingertips to brush the soft skin encasing the button nose.

Yami flinched away, feeling warmth, movement, and _life_ in that small and quick touch. The face he had just touched with feather-like attributes twitched, before falling yet again still in his peaceful rest.

Oh yes, this boy was definitely real.

The teen dove for the VHS box, taking it in with trembling hands. He looked from the boy on the cover to the one on his bed, comparing each and scrutinizing with precision. A cold sweat began to form as he realized the two were the same and had indeed came from the television.

For a moment, he blissfully thought this was a gift from above. Obviously whoever was working upstairs - Yami had a pretty open way of religion as well as sexual orientation, his distant family coming from Egypt while he had lived in Japan his whole life - had seen his struggles with finding the one and had sent the perfect match for him. However, that thought was quickly dismissed as reality settled into his mind once more. He almost laughed at himself for thinking such things.

Taking another glance over the small boy, Yami hummed in displeasure at the position the other was in. Not thinking it was the most comfortable, he decided to be a gentleman and moved to shift Yuugi in a way that wasn't…upside-down.

Running a hand through his disarrayed hair, Yami sighed as he continued to watch the boy. On the tape, it had said Yuugi was a sweet, innocent boy. He was also very cute, his relaxed and soft features complimenting him on that part. When he thought about it, Yami could very well see the little one cuddled up into his side, lovingly drawing patterns on his chest while watching a cheesy romantic sitcom…

Blushing, Yami wondered just when he had become such a hopeless romantic.

"Mmm…" A murmur, soft and quiet, broke the teen from his musings. The figure on the bed shifted, eyes scrunching towards the edges as if trying to block out the barely existent light of the room.

Yami's breath hitched, freezing all parts of his body as the boy began to awaken. Hope flared like a wildfire in his chest, images of those sparkling amethyst eyes from the cover shining up at him with a soft smile, bell-like voice chiming in a meaningful greeting. Yes, he needed that. Gentle reassurance, someone to be _there_. So he waited with bated breath, watching as those wide and expressive eyes cracked open, winding up to half mast before snapping open in realization.

Everything was still as Yuugi flicked his gaze around, trying to regain his memories as to where he was and why he was there. It took a moment, but soon those eyes connected with Yami's. Dark violet and amethyst stared for a few minutes, before sudden anger crashed onto the smaller's features, contorting his face as if he had swallowed a whole lemon. A scowl, so unfitting for such a sweet looking boy, morphed his mouth unpleasantly. Yuugi lifted himself so he was upright before unleashing his verbal attack.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?!" Yuugi screeched, lurching forward to get to an uncomfortable amount of space - or lack there of - between his and Yami's faces. "Playing my video on a broken VCR? I thought I was going to die!" The fear he must have felt at that time flitted across his face for a brief moment, proving to the other his statement was true.

Yami threw his hands up in the universal sign that he was backing down, taking a nervous step backwards in response to this very unexpected outburst. Yuugi himself seemed to realize what he had just done, blinking in confusion at his own harsh words. What the video's blurb had said about him was indeed true; he was usually a very sweet and caring person who hated violence and other such acts that could cause hurt - whether physically or mentally - to others. So why was he acting this way now? An undignified snort replaced his shocked face, indifference coming over him as his new personality took over once again. _Who really gives a damn?_

Meanwhile, Yami was having his own inner turmoil. He was beginning to have second doubts as to who this boy was, because certainly he was not that one he had just seen in the video, who was soft spoken and cheerful. In fact, he seemed the opposite of what he was supposed to be. Immediately he blamed it on his beloved, and yet broken, VCR.

Movement on the bed made Yami look expectantly at Yuugi, who was shifting so their positions weren't as close as they were when he was scolding the other for doing something so foolish. "Anyways," Yami had to process the fact that Yuugi's voice was still the same, even if a bit harder on the edges. "Might as well introduce myself in person, yeah?" Smirking, the boy held up his index and middle finger in the form of the letter 'V.' "I'm Yuugi Mutou. Damn glad to meet ya."

_Damn glad?_ Yami thought bemusedly, eyebrow perched to his hairline. He took another step back as Yuugi jumped off the bed, eyes holding enough curiosity to predict that he was going to explore this new room. The boy shuffled through Yami's messy pile of school supplies before finding his math textbook. Flipping over the cover, he spotted the neatly printed name he was so searching for.

"You're name is Yami Sennen?" He spared the other a fleeting glance. "Doesn't that mean 'Darkness'?" There was a tone of disbelief, both in his voice and on his face.

"Yeah…" Yami muttered, having already received enough taunts about that throughout his childhood. "Why?"

They stared at each other for a moment longer before Yuugi gave a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. "I just don't think it suits you that much…"

Yami didn't know how to respond to that. He could list off multiple ways he could be considered darkness, though he wasn't sure if he was ready spill that to this mysterious stranger who had suddenly popped out from his television not moments ago. So, instead, he opted for a pointed glare directed at the one currently throwing his textbook back into the pile of supplies on the ground.

A lazy smirk slowly came to Yuugi, turning around to fully face the still glaring Yami. He sauntered over, making sure his hips swayed teasingly enough to temporarily catch the other off guard. It worked, as it was child's play to wrap his thin arms around Yami's neck, pulling him down to his shorter height while pursing his lips as if asking for a kiss. "So, what do you wanna do?" His breath wafted over Yami's cheeks, earning himself pleasure for that subtle blush overcoming them.

Luckily for him, Yami caught sight of that mischievous glint in those half lidded eyes, knowing this was only something to tease Yami with. He was just about to push the other away when his purred words reached his ears.

"Video Boys are tailor made for guys like you…" Yami could sense the devious smirk behind that innocent smile. "So I'll do _whatever_ you want."

It was like a cherry bomb had exploded onto his face; it was so red. A bit violently, he shoved the boy away from him. "H-hold on a s-second," was his weak protest as they separated. His mind was spinning too fast for him to come up with a plan to halt this suggestive battle.

Yuugi only giggled, albeit a bit too cheerfully. He fell back onto the bed and watched as Yami scurried over to his magazine stocked corner, flipping page and page to get any ideas as to what he should do, because he really was clueless. Eventually, however, Yuugi got bored of this show and decided to spice things up a bit. Lounging back, he cleared his throat in order to gain the right tone.

"We're wasting time. Come over here and _rock my world._"

The croon caused Yami to freeze in mid swipe of the page. He honestly thought his face couldn't get any redder, while his eyes were nearly popping out of his head. He could move nothing and could only stare at the ad claiming to increase testosterone in one simple step. It definitely wasn't helping.

With a quick mental slap, Yami broke from his stillness and continued flipping through the pages, this time almost twice as fast than before. From the other side of the room, he heard the creak of a floorboard. It was the only warning he got before hot breath fluttered over and down his neck. "Can't take a joke, can you?" Yuugi muttered, peeking over his shoulder to glance boredly at the magazines. A mere second later, the boy had a tight hold on Yami's wrist and was harshly tugging him out of the room. "Let me show you my favorite trick!" His voice held childish joy, encouraging a slightly confused smile to appear on Yami's face for a fleeting moment.

As soon as they reached the stairs, however, Yami came to his senses and was reminded of his inquiries that still haven't been answered. They only took a few steps down before he ripped his hand out of Yuugi's grip and halted his feet. "Hold on." The boy paused and turned to him with a questioning hum. "Who are you…? _What_ are you?"

They stared at each other for a moment before Yuugi gave a heavy sigh, as if this was a question he got often. Waving a hand flippantly, he drawled, "I'm a Video Boy. I came out of the TV to cheer you up."

Furrowing his brows, Yami came to the conclusion that this conversation was going to be a frustrating one. "That's not what I meant."

"Yeah? And who gives a damn about what you meant?" Yuugi growled, making his way down the rest of the stairs. Glancing behind him, he continued, "You obsess over the details too much. You're not gonna find everything you need in a _magazine_. No wonder you're dateless."

Yami flinched at the unintentional reminder of his most hated nickname, but wouldn't back down. "Are you here to cheer me up or give me lectures?" He snapped, fists curling in anger. "Why don't you just go back to wherever you came from?!" Instantly he regretted his choice of words, even more so when Yuugi stilled before turning around and hugging himself, as if he was suddenly very cold. He was about to take it back when a wail came from the boy, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

Unsure of this sudden outburst, Yami took a hesitant step forwards, hand nervously outstretched as if unsure it should provide a comforting weight on the other's shoulder. However, just as he came to a decision, Yuugi whipped around, revealing a wet glare. "And here I thought I was helping! Only to find out that the guy who released me wants me to…" At this he buried his face into his hands, more wails erupting from those plump lips.

"U-uh…" Yami fought the urge to race up into his room and search his stash of magazines for the answer. "That's not true…" The meager protest only made the boy cry harder. "No, no, don't cry. I was…just kidding! I don't want you to go, I want you to stay and-"

"Really?" As if someone had flipped a switch, Yuugi was back to his smiling self, any trace of tears gone. The boy was upon Yami in an instant, leaning against his chest with eager eyes. "Really, really?"

Yami began to sputter, but the damage had already been done. Not waiting for an answer, Yuugi cheered and enveloped the taller into a tight hug that stole the breath from him. He chittered about how much fun they'd have and how he'd take good care of him and by the time Yuugi'd have to go, Yami wouldn't even remember why he needed comfort in the first place and-

Feeling smothered, Yami shoved the boy away, expecting to see more tears at the action. Instead, he was greeted by Yuugi's cute, teasing smile, a few soft giggles following closely. Grumbling and trying to hide his small flush, Yami wondered just how someone could be so annoying and yet so enjoyable at the same time.

* * *

The table was filled with different foods of varying kinds. Meats, fish, rice, soup, fruits, vegetables…All were combined in colorful dishes, savory scents filling the air. A few desserts sat on the side, demanding attention and yet begging to be saved for last. A glorious tiramisu cake was on his sights, but Yami told himself to wait.

It looked beautiful. And it was all his.

Yuugi stood at his side, watching the blissful face just take in the image of his creation. "I was programmed with natural cooking talents, so you can be sure this will be the best meal you've had in your life." The bragging sense of tone barely registered in Yami's mind, for he could only process this home cooked meal at the time.

Truthfully, Yami had not had a home cooked meal since his mother had passed away around a decade ago. The thought brought a little somberness to his attitude for an unnoticeable second before images of Ryou in an apron serving him food was presented in his mind. Of course, he couldn't help it. His heart still yearned for the gentle albino, no matter what reality was trying to tell it.

The sound of a clearing throat broke him out of such thoughts. Yuugi hovered over him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you going to eat it, or make googly eyes at it for the rest of the night?" There was something behind his voice that seemed to know Yami's mind was not on the food, but the taller chose to ignore it.

Instead, he picked up some chopsticks and shoved a large amount of pesto rice into his mouth. His chewing slowed after a moment, face contorting as an…interesting taste covered his tongue. It grew and grew until it overpowered his whole mouth. Turning an almost ungodly shade of green, he spat the rice wad into the nearest available napkin.

Yuugi, as expected, was not amused.

"What are you doing?!" The boy cried, nearly pouncing on the teen, who was currently drowning out the taste with a large glass of water.

"I can't eat this!" Yami snapped back after finishing his water, gesturing wildly at the table of food. "_Nobody_ can eat this!"

Fuming, Yuugi tore Yami from his seat, claiming it for his own. "Well, obviously you don't have a professional's taste of food. Let me show you how you're _supposed_ to eat it." Yami rolled his eyes at the comment, waving for the boy to continue as he crossed his arms to enjoy the show.

Delicately, Yuugi lifted a medium sized clump of rice and placed it onto his tongue. He chewed slowly, making (forced) humming noises. Shivering, he thickly swallowed it down. "See? It's great…" Unfortunately, Yuugi didn't have time to complete his victory speech as the rice immediately came back up and into the awaiting napkin.

"See what I mean?" Yami grumbled, eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

Flushed with the embarrassment of being wrong, Yuugi frantically began to gather the dishes. "This is unbelievable, I'm going to have to start over-"

The plate of tiramisu cake was stolen from his hands unexpectedly in the next second, leaving him utterly confused for a few moments. Frowning, he turned to face Yami, who was holding the dish with a reluctant gaze. "Since you went through all that work to make it, might as well eat it…" Yuugi watched as Yami began to shovel down the distasteful food, attempting to keep the disgust from his face.

The boy smiled, sitting across from the eating teen and resting the side of his head on his horizontally positioned arms. Yami looked up and they connected gazes for a moment. "Heh, I found one of your good points." He giggled some more at the faint blush covering the bridge of the other's nose.

"Yeah, well…" Yami found himself speechless, and when he was unable to continue, he buried himself back into his food, determined not to notice the soft gaze on his face.

* * *

Yuugi collapsed onto his stomach, legs up in the air and head resting onto his palms. "So," he drawled boredly, "what do we do now?"

Yami glanced over at the smaller from his spot in his desk chair. "We don't have to do anything." He muttered. In all honesty, the teen would rather rest his tired head. It was, after all, past the usual time he would fall asleep, mostly due to the fact that he loved those Ryou dreams he would have - despite the...annoyance it caused when he woke up.

A glance was stolen at the VCR still whirling to itself in the corner, Yuugi's tape obediently being played. Since he wasn't going to be going to bed anytime soon with Yuugi around, Yami figured he should at least start on fixing whatever was wrong with the player.

With a small kick to the wall, the dark violet eyed teen was rolling towards the VCR. Stopping just short of ramming into it, Yami examined the exterior for any dents or of the like.

He knew he had caught Yuugi's attention, for he could feel those amethyst eyes boring into his neck as soon as he had moved. There was a moment of silence before the expected sound of bed springs screeched from behind him, closely followed by the padding footsteps of socks. A familiar presence warmed his shoulder without even having to touch it. It was only then did Yami make a move to pick up the VCR for further analysis.

Apparently interpreting his actions wrongly, a pair of small hands darted out to hold back his arms from touching it. Looking over his shoulder, he was met with the sight of nervous amethyst.

Frowning in slight confusion, Yami tried to move his hands again, but received a yank further away from the machine, amethyst hardening with warnings of a storm. Agitation flared as he tried to break free, but to no avail. The Video Boy's grasp was as strong as iron.

"Alright," Yami said once his patience wore thin, "what's the problem _now_?"

To his surprise, Yuugi did not snap at him for his annoyed tone. Instead, his cherubic face became stoic with unexpected serious, something that seemed so alien when in comparison with his attitude just moments before. With a tight squeeze, he slowly released the other's wrists. After seeing Yami would not make another move to touch the VCR, the smaller relaxed and went on to rummage through the room, always keeping on eye on Yami all the while.

Deciding to wait and see what Yuugi was doing and not be at the brunt end of his rage, he gently lowered his hands into his lap to signal he wasn't going anywhere. This seemed to calm the boy down a bit, as he looked more relaxed when he continued searching. Yami felt like asking what it was he was looking for, but sensed as though there was an invisible agreement preventing him from making any distracting sounds. So he waited.

It took a while, seeing as though Yuugi did not know where anything was in Yami's messy clutter of a room, but he eventually pulled out the object of his desires. Yami blinked uneasily as the boy triumphantly held out the roll of duct tape before again approaching. Thoughts of being bound to his desk chair reasonably crossed his mind and he could feel himself tensing, heels rising from the ground in case he needed to make swift flight.

Yuugi, however, was not paying attention to Yami's nervous actions. Instead, he was focused entirely on the murmuring VCR, his own sense of uneasy being displayed through wide eyes. No, it wasn't that the player was dangerous, but what could be done with it was what he was so worried about.

He step-sided Yami, who was now utterly confused once more, and crouched so he was face-to-face with the machine. With an echoing _riiip_, Yuugi tore off a long piece of the tape before gently laying it across the controls, positioning the remote - of which Yami hadn't even noticed the boy had gathered - atop of it in such a way that it too would be covered and unusable. After using a few more thin strips of the silvery tape, he sat back on his haunches with a satisfied grin.

"There," he cheered in such a way it almost seemed as though no one else in the room existed. "Much better!"

It took Yami exactly two seconds to figure out what had just happened. "_What the hell?!_" The shout was probably heard by the neighbors, but at that point he couldn't have possibly cared as he flung himself from his uneasy perch on the chair and to his beloved VCR. He turned flashing dark violet eyes in order to cut into the usual cheery amethyst. "Why did you do that? Now I can't use it!"

"Exactly." Yuugi piped, standing and stretching tired limbs. Yami could only stare in response to the blatant statement. Without needing prompt, the Video Boy kindly explained. "My life's directly tied with that VCR, and if you were to go and twiddle with the buttons, it could shorten my time here, which is about…" His chin met with his palm as he falsely thought it over, teasing smirk the only thing giving him away. "Three months on the dot. Besides, if you were to accidentally press the power button, I'd go…" A sound closely resembling an old and haggard duck came from his throat while a sharp finger drew an invisible line across his own throat.

Yami didn't believe for a second that he was so calm and joking about it. The awkward exchange when he had moved to touch the VCR and the plain flash of fear written in Yuugi's features that didn't pass until he knew it was safe spoke it as plain as day. He didn't address this, however, seeing as though no good would ever come out of it.

"So…" Yuugi continued to drawl on, even though Yami was now only half listening. "No more touching the VCR, m'kay?" He finished off with an unwelcoming pat on the teen's cheek, spinning on his heel to fall back onto the bed, legs crossed.

Grumbling under his breath, Yami returned to his examination of the VCR, giving it the occasional nudge to shift it in order to gain a better angle. All of it was allowed by Yuugi, a term that sounded bitter in Yami's thoughts. Just a few hours ago did he have his whole house to himself and now he was worried he would get punished for touching something that held so many personal memories for him? It was ridiculous, and yet he didn't make any move to go against the smaller's wishes.

It was going to be a long three months.

"Hey," Yuugi's voice had grown soft, almost reaching the same gentleness he displayed in the video, but Yami still flinched as a warm hand came to rest upon his shoulder. "Cheer up. Let's go wash today's junk off our shoulders with a nice bath. I'll even wash your back for you."

"My back?" Yami responded dumbly, mood only lightening slightly. Something told him those words weren't as innocent as Yuugi made them out to be.

* * *

Yuugi had already raided his bathroom by the time Yami entered, his walking having been slowed by his deep thinking of the situation he was currently stuck in. Bottles of various products lay on the sink from the cupboard hidden behind the mirror. Yuugi was just placing the shampoo and body wash he saw fit was the best beside the tub - something he realized would indeed fit two comfortably.

He could feel that familiar blush coming back up.

With another stretch Yuugi straightened his back, the action causing him to catch the frozen Yami at the doorway from the edges of his vision. Giving an inviting smile, he gestured for him to come closer. "You gonna take a bath in your clothes?" His teasing personality was back in full throttle, though Yami couldn't say he minded.

There was no response other than a renewed guard preventing the lanky teen from moving an inch closer. He began to wonder if it was right to do this, since he knew for sure his heart still belonged with Ryou. Would…_bathing_ with Yuugi create an air of disloyalty before their relationship could even begin, if they ever made it to that status?

When Yami did not react verbally, Yuugi gave himself a small shrug and began to take off his shirt. He didn't notice how this only made the other stifle a squeak of surprise. If he had happened to look over Yami now, he was sure to be more than amused by the close-to-fainting red color it was.

The shrill cry of the land line interrupted Yuugi from proceeding in his preparations. The suddenness of it managed to snap Yami out of his trace long enough for him to tear his gaze from the pale, smooth chest in perfect view and escape the now overheated bathroom.

Yuugi let out a belt of giggles, running after Yami's heels as they made their way to the phone. "Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring! Phone call! Phone call!" The Video Boy chirped loudly, making the extra effort to sound like the annoying - and yet very catchy - ringtone found in the original anime of Pokémon.

Shooing the distracting boy - who was still without a shirt - away with a few flicks of the wrist, Yami clicked the accept button on his home phone. However, before he could get out an adequate greeting, a certain someone made his presence known.

"Yaaami," Yuugi drawled into his ear. "Who is it?"

Said teen was about to snap at the boy to be quiet so he could find out until the voice on the other end beat him to the punch. "Is that another _boy_ I hear?"

"Dad?" The sputter was inevitable. Yami's father hadn't been home in a few years due to his busy life as a travelling businessman. He called every other month or so to check in, but other than that they didn't communicate. It had only been the last call when Yami had worked up the courage to say anything about his sexuality, and had to end it early when his father wouldn't drop the playful teasing of him having a crush.

He hadn't meant for Yuugi to find out the identity of the caller so easily, but the sly and mischievous smirk curling his lips told him he had heard enough. Perhaps more than he ever should've.

Before he could stop him, Yuugi parted his mouth and let out a wanton moan, hands gripping onto Yami's shoulder as he leaned in. Horrified, he shoved the teasing boy away, but couldn't take back the damage already done. He could only watch as Yuugi escaped back into the bathroom and the chain of events unfolded.

A scandalized gasp that sounded vaguely like his name came from the phone, and Yami winced. Though he knew how joking his father could be, he wondered if his opinion would change when faced with - albeit false - evidence that his only son was truly into the same gender.

Expecting berate and criticism, the teen held his breath as fear constricted his chest and throat.

"Yami," came the repeated word, this time with a more…hidden emotion, as if he was holding something in. Another few seconds of silence later and a hearty, deep belt of laughter made Yami's eardrums burst and caused him to tear the phone away from his ear in surprise. "Yami, my boy, I didn't know you had it in you!"

Now this was worse than any verbal lashing he could get. His father thought his son was currently…_having intercourse_ with another guy and laughing about it as if it was nothing? As if hearing his thoughts, the one on the other end began to laugh even harder.

A spike of typical teenage denial coursed through his veins, forcing his mouth to move in the form of an excuse. "No, I-…It's not that! It's just a video…" Though not technically untrue, he knew he was only digging himself deeper, so before his father could say anything else, he hurriedly continued. "So what do you want?" He made the question bite harder than he had intended, but it wasn't all that uncommon, if Yami was to admit the truth.

His father's laughter died down rather quickly at the inquiry. It eventually was morphed into a sigh, and Yami automatically knew what was coming. "I've got another meeting scheduled, this time back in Egypt. So…I won't be back home in a few more months, maybe more. It-"

"It depends on how the meeting goes, I know." Yami cut in quickly, so the sting of disappointment wasn't as deafening. This had happened so often now it seemed almost a given topic touched upon whenever they communicated. He wondered if the hope he had every time the phone rang would ever fade away.

"Alright…" His father's tone had stilled in the way he usually got when he was uncomfortable. "Call me if something happens. You're still getting my checks, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Something sounding akin to a large bundle of clothes being dropped came from the bathroom, followed by loud curses. "Listen, I've got to go." He forced his voice to come to an end, for it to not to trail off as if he had something else to add on. A promise, perhaps. Though it was most likely the reminder Yami wasn't even sure was true anymore.

"Want to get back to that video, huh?" It was a last minute jab that didn't help leave things off on a better note. "Well, I'll call when I have more news."

"Bye." Then he hung up.

Leaning against the wall, Yami dragged a hand across his face in exasperation. Of course he cared about his father. Fond memories were the first of things that came up when he was mentioned. Then came the endless amounts of phone calls informing him that he would have to go to another country or stay in the one he was in because the company he was trying to convince was being too stubborn. According to him, they all would eventually came around.

Yami knew his father was only trying to make a living…but weren't there simpler ways of doing so? Couldn't he get a job around town, one with regular work hours and a decent pay? Even he himself could get a job, if the old man was worried about money problems. He could apply for part time at the cafe, where he could get close to Ryou without seeming so stalker-ish.

And yet, even with his argument all lined up and ready, the topic had yet to have been breached. Whether it always slipped his mind, or something kept him from doing so, Yami was fine all the same. He had Bakura, school, and his crush on Ryou to busy himself over…

Wasn't that enough?

"Oi, Yami!" The call reminded him that there was another person in his house. One that probably already made an even bigger mess of the bathroom. "Hurry up! The water's getting cold."

The small threat was not enough to move Yami from his spot by the phone, however. Cold water was easily fixable and he needed the time to cool down from his foul mood. He gave a loud sigh and sank into a more relaxed position, head giving a small _thud_ against the wall.

When Yuugi figured out that the teen was not coming anytime soon and his patience just about reached its limit, he called out the only thing he knew would entice him to get his ass in the bathroom in a flash.

"Come on, I just took all of my clothes off!"

Only a second passed before he received the desired reaction.

"…Eh?!" Then came the rapid stumbling of feet against floorboards. Just before the door was busted open in excited panic, Yuugi assumed the position of leaning a shoulder against the wall, crossing his ankles and observing his nails with a subtle pout.

The figure that finally appeared in the doorway was well worth the wait. He stood - or rather, leaned heavily against the doorway, his panting breath suggesting that he wasn't much of a runner. His face was inflamed and looked just about ready to burst. The usual dark violet color found in his irises were lighter now with mixed emotions, most of which were replaced by an odd sense of disappointment once raking themselves over Yuugi's calm and most certainly not naked stance.

If he had continued his examination, Yuugi might've noticed the sweaty palms with sharp nails almost drawing blood, a small bruise just below the elbow from a quick and accidental smack to the wall, and the way his bare feet curled in carefully held in agitation still lingering from the previous call. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Yuugi was distracted once that airy voice began to speak.

"Wha…" The boy derived some pleasure in knowing just what Yami was so confused about, letting him stutter through it for the meantime. "You…said…What?"

At this Yuugi promptly burst into a fit of high pitched giggles, confusing the poor teen even further. "What?" he said in a falsely offended tone. Bottling up the uncontrollable laughter as best as he could, the Video Boy humphed and crossed his arms. He was unable to keep the knowing smirk off his face, however. "You thought I was going to be standing in here naked, didn't you?" He blew one of his bangs out his face before moving to the middle of the room, gesturing with one hand at the pair of loose swim trunks he found in one of the cupboards around his waist and upper legs. "Well, I'm not, ya perv." After a moment's thought, he seductively added , "You're not ready for naked Yuugi yet."

Yami's face reddened even more, if that was even possible. The confirmation that the boy he just met a few hours ago wasn't going to reveal his body to him (_yet_, he unconsciously added to the thought) allowed for himself to relax against the door's frame with a deep sigh of relief. This moment however didn't last long, seeing as the next second Yuugi had thrown him the larger swimsuit and it had landed directly onto his face.

"Hurry up and get changed." Yuugi ordered with a hint of politeness. "I have to get this tub back to normal temperature, seeing as though you took _soo_ long to get here."

It turns out Yuugi's definition of 'normal temperature' was different from Yami's. The bath was nearly scaldingly hot, and when he had complained Yuugi just told him it meant he wasn't manly enough to handle it. It's simple to say that the remark shut him up.

The water sloshed as Yami shifted to the other end of the pool, eyes always trained on Yuugi. Due to the amount of soap already used to wash their hair - Yami had made a very clear point to wash his own hair when Yuugi showed signs of advance - the tub was filled with suds, making the lower portions of the their bodies practically invisible above water. It meant that it was easy to forget lean and soft-skinned Yuugi had anything on at all.

Currently, Yuugi was carding a hand through his own hair, making sure to get all of the sweet smelling shampoo out. Yami had just finished explaining to him the gist of what happened before he played the video, leaving out some minor parts like the mob of Bakura's fangirls.

"He said I had a pure heart because it was broken, and yet I was crying over someone else's pain." Yami was of course referring to the old man who ran the video rental store. Sugoroku was his name, if memory served correctly.

Yuugi nodded, humming absentmindedly. "Broken heart, huh?" Wincing when he came across a tough knot in his black mess of hair, which currently clung around his face and neck, he gave a displeased tsk. "No, your heart isn't really broken."

Yami balked. "B-but…Ryou's in love with another person, in love with my best friend!"

With a sigh, Yuugi carefully stood, brushing off most of the lingering suds before gently seating himself on the thick edge of the tub. "Listen, it's not like he dumped you, or said he hated you or anything like that. There's still hope." He gave a reassuring smile, but Yami was focused more on the white tiling.

"I dunno…" The teen had seen the look on Ryou's face when Bakura had casually brushed off his indirect confession. How could he, a lanky teen with almost no social life, compete with that look of complete hopelessness of ever having the happy ending everyone dreams about?

They were silent for a few seconds before Yuugi's face brightened considerably. "I've got it!" Before any reaction time could be taken into affect, the boy had slung his arm around the moping teen, squeezing their faces together in excitement. "I'll help you become the ultimate guy magnet! Ryou won't even be able to resist once I'm through with you."

To Yami, this sounded mostly like a threat he didn't want to handle. "I'm not sure…"

Undeterred by the less than positive response, Yuugi spun the other around so he would see his honest expression. "Just leave it to me."

And Yami couldn't help but to agree. Smiling fondly for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he felt peacefulness in the fact that he wasn't truly alone. It, however, was gone as soon as that playful, sly smirk made an appearance on Yuugi's cherubic face.

"Now let's wash that back, yeah?"

"Wha- no! Wait!"

"Too late, slowpoke!"

* * *

Yami was curled onto his bed, dark violet eyes trained pathetically on his picture of Ryou sitting neatly on the desk. Behind him, Yuugi's back occasionally brushed his own, the Video Boy having snuck onto the bed from the guest room when he thought Yami wasn't awake. He didn't mind, really. The extra warmth brought at least some comfort to his tired and foggy mind.

Now that the day had gone and everything was quiet, the scene from earlier began to repeat again and again. Ryou's words of admission rang the most, his heart-tearing expression when he fled after Bakura let him down glued to his eyelids. The fabric beneath Yami's fingers crinkled softly as he curled further into himself with a small shake of the shoulders.

A hand, warm and comforting, placed itself in sudden appearance on Yami's shoulder, making him flinch. It was soon accompanied by the press of another body against his now cold back. Hot breath wafted over his neck as a soft spoken whisper filled his ear.

"Cheer up, Yami," it was masked in tiredness, but the serenity was there all the same. "It'll be fine…"

Yami blinked back the tears and closed his eyes with a smile, allowing the other to snuggle up closer so that they were perfectly flush.

Suddenly, three months seemed way too short of a time.

* * *

So how's Yuugi's character? Too much? Just right? Please let me know.

Next chapter: Yami and Ryou have a little talk at school. What did he just agree to?

R&R~


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